


Unwanted Destiny

by xAwkward_Ariesx



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Doppelganger, Elena has a twin, F/M, Fae Magic, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 05:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17197604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xAwkward_Ariesx/pseuds/xAwkward_Ariesx
Summary: Elena's twin sister returns from boarding school due to her parents death, the funding for her education has been cut short. She comes home to find that her friends and family are keeping secrets from her, two new families have moved to their sleepy town, animal attacks are on the rise and that she's a few relatives shorter than she was lead to believe. While attempting to adjust to the chaotic life everyone has settled into in her absence, she struggles with a secret of her own.





	1. 0. Moving out and Moving on

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a work in progress so updates may be sporadic but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I'm transferring most of my works over from my wattpad account so formatting might be a little weird as I get used to posting on this site.

Growing up with Elena Gilbert as your twin sister was certainly difficult. Especially when you were the child your parents had never wanted but were rather unexpectedly lumbered with. Elena had always set the bar impossibly high for her sister so that she never been able to even graze it with her fingertips no matter how hard she tried. Elena was the perfect daughter whereas she was the disappointment. And she'd certainly lived up to that title.

She had been sent away to boarding school when she was eleven and none of her family had tried keeping in contact with her since. She was a blemish on their perfect record that they had hidden away out of sight. Jeremy had written to her frequently in the beginning but eventually, her parents had put an end to that. Elena only over made contact to lecture her about her duties in the family and reprimand her about what she had done wrong this time.

She'd stopped responding after that.

But on some nights when she was feeling particularly alone and forgotten when she would do anything to feel connected to her family once more, she opened up the letters and read the scathing remarks her sister had left for her. It was grounding. It reminded her of her place and hardened her. If her family wasn't there for her she'd find those who appreciated her for herself.

So while her family - in recent years - ignored her, her friends were all she had. While she had been popular in school back home, there were few she close with. They had all kept in close connect when she had left, however, those letters had dwindled in response too.

With summer quickly approaching, she felt more detached from her home than ever. She had stopped returning home for breaks after the first year when her parents had made it clear that she was nothing more than a nuisance and a hindrance to their happiness. This meant that she hadn't seen her friends in a while either.

She tried to not let their lack of correspondence bother her, after all, if life had taught her anything, it was that it cared nought for your feelings or grievances.

But it was this lack of communication past the four walls in which she resided in that lead to her shock. When she'd gone to register at the reception to let Madeline know that once again she would be spending her summer at the boarding school, she was informed of just how little she knew.

"I'm sorry dear but it seems your funding has stopped," Madeline explained sympathetically.

"My what? My funding? But I thought my parents paid for the new semester in advance?"

The black haired woman grimaced, as though the news she was about to impart was painful.

"Yes, well usually they do. The funding covered your last school year however, they have not yet made the next instalment." She paused taking a deep breath in preparation. "When we called to investigate the hold up in payments we were notified that your parents passed away last May."

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. She felt numb, unable to attach to the world around her. She had no idea how to react. Her parents were dead. 'Though they had never been very receptive of her, they had still been her parents - the people who had brought her into this world - and now they were gone.

She swallowed, a futile attempt to ground her to reality through her senses.

"I know this may come as a shock dear, I have spoken with the board of director's and they have come to the conclusion that in these circumstances you may continue to reside here for the summer but come the new school year, you must return home." The middle-aged woman's voice was gentle through-out as she dealt the verbal blow, and the kindness never drifted from her eyes.

She swallowed again and shook herself for good measure.

"Uh- Uh. Thank you, Madeline, please notify the board of director's that I will take them up on their offer and will be gone with the coming of the new school year."

With that, she turned on her heel and fled the lobby, eager to return to the solace of her room.

_~~ August 25th ~~_

It was time. Students had returned from their holidays to prepare for another year of learning. While the new semester wasn't for at least a week, they all had to be settled into their new dormitories and given their new timetables.

As it was, there was one student that stood in their dormitory packing to leave rather than settling in. A tanned brunette perched primly on one of the two twin beds as she watched the girl pack.

"So you're really leaving, huh?"

"Looks like." She replied shortly.

"And I bet your just ecstatic to see your sister again, eh Margaret?" The girl chirped sarcastically, a smirk painted across her ruby lips.

"Urgh don't call me that, Cathica! And honestly that's something I've been trying to avoid but it seems all my efforts have gone to waste with my parent timely death."

Cathica snorted in amusement.

"She can't be that bad." She pointed out.

Margaret scoffed.

"Oh yeah. Do you even have siblings?"

"Uh yeah!" Cathica sniped, sounding annoyed at the blatant forgetfulness of her friend.

"Oh right, of course. What's their name again?"

"Kat."

"Kat?" Margaret turned to look at her best friend and roommate, one eyebrow raised in amusement as she smirked at her. "Kat and Cathica?"

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Kat and Cathy. Don't ask me, my parents chose it."

Margaret shook her head with a smile returning to her packing.

"But you must be at least a little bit excited, right?"

"Well yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing Jer again and of course all my friends but I'm not that happy about returning to that small town life."

"Where do you live again? Mystic Falls, right?"

The girls may have been roommates for years but life outside of the school's gates was often forgotten about it, it was hard to imagine that they had lives out there. Especially when that meant coming to terms with the fact that those very friends and family and chosen to forget them and move on with their own lives. It was easier to pretend they didn't exist.

"Yeah, it's a sleepy town in Virginia. Nothing compared to Chicago."

"Well. There's not much that can beat windy city."

Margaret scoffed once more.

"Great, thanks for comforting me. No _'I'm sure you'll be thrilled to back when you get there'_ or _'At least you'll have your friends again'_ just _'Yeah that sucks but there's not much you can do ab_ _out it'_."

"Aww, it's not gonna be that bad May." She glanced at the clock. "But you better get going if you're going to catch that train."

Margaret's eyes flew to the clock she muttered a quiet curse under her breath before she gathered her luggage and bolted for the door. She paused in the threshold and turned back to her only friend during her time at boarding school.

"Call me, yeah?"

"Of course, you won't be able to get rid of me." Cathica smiled.

Margaret grinned before dashing out of the room with a quick goodbye called over her shoulder.

The smile dropped from Cathica's face immediately when the girl was out of sight. She sighed in annoyance before pulling her phone out of her skinny jean's pocket. She quickly opened the messaging app and sent a quick message before closing the app and re-pocketing the device.

_'The Bee has left the hive.'_

The brunette grabbed the pre-packed suitcase from the bottom of the closet and headed to the lobby.

Short black hair blanketed the view of the desk's occupant. But as the clicking of heels grew closer to the receptionist she raised her head to greet the approaching figure. A grin spread across her lips as she recognised the familiar face.

"Cathica, dear. What can I help you with?"

The brunette - who had previously been several feet away was suddenly right in front of her and gripping her chin, forcing her to look directly into dilated grey eyes.

"You will forget all about a Cathica Jones, she never existed. You will delete all traces of her from the system as well as her roommate Margaret Gilbert."

The woman blinked slowly before moving robotically. She looked up when she felt a send rush of wind sweep through the lobby but there was nothing there... There had never been.


	2. I. Return to Small Town Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya returns to her home town for the first time in 6 years.

The train ride from Chicago to Mystic Falls was dull, to say the least. She'd had to make a stop in between to rest for the night in Pittsburgh making the first leg of her trip nearly nine and a half hours and the second leg taking over four and a half hours.

She'd left early in the morning the next day to get a cab down to Mystic Falls meaning she returned home to the dreary town around eleven. She sighed as she hefted her suitcase out of the dingy cab - she still wasn't particularly thrilled at the prospect of being home - she paid the driver with a smile before gazing down at the town from its border.

She glared down at the sprinkling of buildings with her hands propped on her hips. Rolling her eyes, she slid her sunglasses onto her nose and ventured down into the town below. It was a foreign experience walking through the streets she'd once explored as a child but now were so different. Growing up in a small town you knew nearly everyone but now she was unrecognisable.

The trek through the town square was short and all too quickly did she arrive at an all too familiar door. Suddenly, face to face with her past, she froze. She shook herself free of her stupor and rooted through her bag to find her keys.

Disentangling the bunch from her earphones she glared at the singular silver key that glinted in the light. She hadn't ever gotten rid of it and instead it had taunted her for the last six years or so.

She sighed to herself before inserting the key and letting herself in. Standing in the foyer, she looked around. Everything was exactly the same but completely different at the same time. Picture of Elena and Jeremy as they group up littered the living room reminding her of all the years she had missed. The few photos of her as a child remained but there hadn't been many, to begin with.

Suddenly footsteps echoed through the empty house. She turned her head in time to see Elena thundering down the stairs - clearly in a rush. The girl hadn't spotted her yet as she rifled through her bag to ensure she had everything.

When she finally looked up she froze. There stood an impossible face.

Margaret smirked.

"Hey, sis." She greeted, leaning back against the now closed front door.

Elena managed to get her legs working again and she slowly continued her descent coming to stand in front of her twin.

"Margaret? What are you doing here?" Her voice was full of confusion as she scanned her younger sister.

Margaret shrugged, pushing herself off of the door she walked towards the photos of her siblings keeping her arms crossed and her back to her as she thought.

"I hear mommy and daddy dearest are dead. Which means no one to pay for my tuition, hence I'm back here?" She whirled around to face her sister once the words left her mouth, intrigued by her sister's possible reaction. Her tone gave no indication on her thoughts about the parents untimely death.

Elena's eyes hardened and her jaw clenched at the nonchalant way her sister delivered those words.

"It's been over a year, Margaret. Why now?"

"Don't call me that." Elena's brows furrowed at that, she opened her mouth to argue when her sister spoke once more. "Mom and dad had paid for my junior year in advanced the funding didn't cover this year as well which was how I found out about their deaths seeing as no one bothered to inform me. I suppose I missed the funeral?" She asked quirking an eyebrow.

Elena couldn't stand the emotionless - almost formal - way her sister delivered those words.

"Well. Too late now I suppose." She looked around the house once more, it was oddly silent. "Where's Jeremy? I wanna say hi, it's been a while."

"He's out. Look I got-"

"And Jenna?" Elena froze. "I suppose she's the primary carer now? Unless Uncle John was given that role?"

Elena gulped back the wave of sadness that threatened to consume her at the mention of her recently deceased Aunt.

"She's not here. Look I got to go, I'll see you later." Elena said quickly before rushing out the door.

Margaret watched her sister go. As the door slammed shut she was consumed by silence once more. Sighing, she grabbed her suitcase and headed to her old bedroom.

Opening the door, she was hit by a wave of nostalgia. The room was still painted a dull beige, cream curtains kept out the rays of sunshine that threatened to streak the room, the single bed against the wall was still perfectly made, her cream canvas sofa sat perfectly against one wall next her crammed built-in dark wood bookshelf, her matching dark wooden desk and cork board were still cluttered with pictures of her pre-pubescent self and friends, as well as postcards and other mementos.

She chuckled lightly as she studied the room. She walked over to the closet to find it still full of the brightly coloured clothes of her youth. Pulling her dark brown hair into a quick ponytail she stripped off her leather jacket and began planning.

**\- TVD -**

Hours later her face was streaked with paint and a perfectly - if not small - bed sat in the front yard. The walls had been repainted a lovely olive green, and the drapes sat folded on the floor out of harm's way.

The wardrobe had been emptied and organised into three piles: broken and to be recycled, in perfect condition and to be sent to the charity shop and the few articles that could be made into something new, if she couldn't think of something, Frances certainly could.

The picture and mementoes had been carefully removed, stacked and placed between the page of books ready to be re-homed in photo albums or amongst the friends residing in the photos.

The hardest part, however, had been clearing out her bookshelf. As she'd gotten to the bottom shelf (where her shoes had often rested) she'd come across a dusty old memory box. This had been filled with more personal memories. Her first dance trophy, pictures of family, handmade gifts and birthday cards.

Tears had filled her eyes as she'd looked through the small, ornate, wooden chest. When she'd been at boarding school she'd grown bitter, often feeling abandoned she'd chosen to remember only the bad in order to justify her anger. But returning home had reminded her of why it had always been so hard to retain that hatred. Because in the end - just like most things in life - it had been filled with both the good and the bad.

Wiping away tears - and streaking paint in the process - she had shoved the box away, not wanting to be reminded any more of all she had lost. Her parents may be dead but she wasn't going to lose anyone else.

Shoving her feet back into her shoes and thrusting her arms into her jacket she picked up the small pile of photos and her keys and left the house.

**\- TVD -**

The familiar bungalow looked the same as it always had ever since Bill Forbes had left Mystic Falls. She tried not to think about how she'd tried to console a weeping eight-year-old Caroline when she'd heard the news of her Father's departure and had assumed he'd no longer loved her and had abandoned her.

She knocked on the door and tried not to fidget as she waited.

An almost unfamiliar blonde came to the door. Her expression was blank but as she scanned the brunette realisation finally dawned on her and a beaming grin broke out. That smile, however, was quickly hidden as she hugged the brunette.

Margaret laughed as Caroline squealed into her shoulder.

The girl suddenly pulled away appraising her appearance once more.

"Mar I can't believe your back. Oh my god! It's been so long. Is that a tattoo? When did you get here? Did something happen? Oh my god, you've got so tall. Wha-"

"Breathe Caroline." She chuckled as she placed tanned hands on porcelain shoulders. "I just got back today, yes its a tattoo, my funding was cut off because of my parent's death, of course, I've grown it has been nearly seven years and I just stopped by to let you know I was back and give you these. For your scrapbooking, of course." She handed over the small collection of photos, Caroline took them eagerly, awing at her younger self.

She turned and walked deeper into the house, a clear sign for her to follow.

Margaret shut the door behind her and followed into the living room where a certain blonde was now perched, flicking through the photos. Once she was done she placed them down on the coffee table, her attention back on the newly returned brunette.

"And I don't go by Margaret anymore." She spoke up, not knowing what else to say as she leant against the entrance way, arms crossed.

"What? Why not?"

She shrugged, pushing off of the wall she took the spot next to her childhood best friend.

"It's just a little old fashioned, don't you think? So I use Maya."

Caroline nodded in agreement when a question suddenly struck her. Maya wasn't surprised the bubbly blonde had always been a chatterbox with a billion questions. It was one of the things that worked well with them. Maya never got annoyed by the constant chatter and Caroline was glad to have someone who could keep up in a conversation or would just happily listen.

"You _have_ been registering at Mystic Falls High for our Senior year, right?" She demanded, eyes fearfully as if it would be a tragedy if she hadn't.

"Yep." She answered popping the 'p'. "I didn't on the train ride over." She said showing her phone to confirm what she'd said.

Caroline let out a sigh of relief.

"Good." Maya smiled, milestones had always been very important to Caroline, it was nice to have that normalcy back. "I can count on you to partake in Senior Prank Night?" She questioned, eyebrows raised, giving the night more importance than necessary with her tone alone.

She scoffed.

"Of course! Where else will I be?" She teased.

Caroline squealed, engulfing her in a hug that was quickly cut short as her neurotic planning mode took over. Maya smiled at the familiarity of it all as Caroline talked a mile a minute as she detailed her plans. She listened attentively, as she settled back against the couch, she nodded where appropriate and inputted her own ideas here and there.

The afternoon continued on in a similar fashion as Caroline told her all the high school drama she'd missed out on. She wished the rest of her time home could continue just as today had but she wouldn't be able to hide forever, and it was this epiphany that leads to her dragging herself of the Forbes' couch and out the door as she said her goodbyes to her friend while said friend managing to wrangle promises out of her in the way only Caroline could.

She felt lighter as she walked back home. Lighter than she'd felt since she'd first known she would have to return to the demons of her past.

The first thing she did once return home checked the fridge and cupboards before popping out to the shops to gather the ingredients for tonight's dinner. She was filled with a new sense of determination after her afternoon with Caroline. No matter her past she was going to make this work. She hadn't been the best daughter or sister in the past but she was going to try harder from now on.

The evening was filled with joyful chatter as her siblings regaled her with tales of their childhood. She smiled and laughed but she couldn't stop the emptiness she felt in her chest when their Aunt Jenna didn't come to join them. There was always tomorrow.

With that in mind, she immersed herself more fully in the conversations around her. No one spoke of her years away - not out right - of their parent's death or of the fact their Aunt hadn't joined them. But it cast a shadow over the conversations even when they didn't address it.

It was going to be a tough year but she was determined to make it work. Not for her, but for them, the family she had always disappointed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys so here's the first chapter. I hope this sort of explains her reaction towards her parents and Elena than in the first part. I'm not sure yet if the next chapter will be the senior prank night or if I'll build up to it more. Get her more settled in as she has been away for nearly a decade. Maybe get in some more twin bonding.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the comments. Anyway see you next chapter, bye guys :)

**Author's Note:**

> I know the whole 'Elena's Twin' thing is cliché but the idea just came to me and I couldn't get rid of it. For those of you haven't read the books you won't know that Elena actually had a little sister called Margaret, so that's where her name is from.
> 
> Don't worry she won't be getting involved in the whole Salvatore-Elena-love-triangle but she has got her own drama that I'm going to unpack so I hope you enjoy that.
> 
> Sorry that the first chapter is starting from such a weird place but it didn't seem right to start the story with her returning to mystic falls so enjoy this little bit of background. There will be a few OC's dotted around here. This takes place in Series 3 after the hybrid curse but of course, new characters mean a slight deviation from canon I don't intend for this to be another rewrite (I already have on of those) so probably only key events will stay.
> 
> Anyway, let me know your thoughts in the comments. See ya guys next chapter :)


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